Joseph W. Bellacosa

Joseph William Bellacosa (born September 1, 1937) is an American lawyer and jurist who served as Chief Administrator of the Courts of New York from 1985 to 1987 and as a judge of the New York Court of Appeals, the highest court in the state, from 1987 to 2000.

Early life and education Born in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, Bellacosa's parents, Frank and Antoinette (Tullo) Bellacosa, were Italian immigrants.

Bellacosa attended the Brooklyn campus of the Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception, graduating in 1957. He attended St. John's University, earning a B.A. in English in 1959, and then St. John's University School of Law, earning a LL.B in 1961. In 1970, Bellacosa returned to St. John's University as the assistant dean for academic and admissions affairs and as an assistant law professor. A political independent, Bellacosa was noted for his conservative decision while serving on the bench, specifically in areas such as prosecutors' rights, and had a tendency to defer to the judiciary.

Personal life In 1960, Bellacosa married Mary Theresa Nirrengarten. The two had three children: Michael, Peter, and Barbara.

Legacy Regarding Bellacosa's retirement, Professor Vincent M. Bonventre of the Albany Law School considered Bellacosa the most "outspoken and candid" member of the court, as well as the member who was the most "willing to go public in his dissents".